Aftermath
by Mercury-Moon-7490195
Summary: "Good Night, Night Vale. Good Night." Cecil switched off the broadcast, his knuckles white on the switchboard. He did not turn around. He didn't need to. He knew what lay behind him. Spoilers for Episode 32: Yellow Helicopters


"Good Night, Night Vale. Good Night.

Cecil switched off the broadcast, his knuckles white on the switchboard. He did not turn around. He didn't need to. He knew what lay behind him. A dozen men and women, dressed in suits the same shade of yellow as the helicopters, buzzed around his radio station, moving things, re-labeling anything that bore the NVCR logo, leading his coworkers into the various rooms of the station, closing and locking them in with a firm click. Station management's door was thrown wide open and it was flooded with light; the shapes moving inside were certainly human and yellow-coated. One man was knocking on his own door, jiggling the locked handle as if it would magically open the more he tried.

Cecil did not move.

Slowly, he drew his phone from his pocket, dialed, and put it to his ear.

"Cecil, thank god—What's going on?"

Cecil took a deep, slow breath. " Darling, I need you to listen to me carefully," he said in a low, firm voice. "Do you remember where I took you on our third date?"

"Of course—"

"Good. I need you to go there, right now. Take only what you need. I will meet you there…" The jiggling was getting more frantic, and he could hear his name being shouted on the other side of the door. "I just don't know how long I'll be."

Carlos nodded grimly. "Will I be able to get in?"

"Mhm. Your information's already in the system. Call it an early anniversary present."

"MR. BALDWIN, PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR."

Cecil ignored them, clutching the phone a little tighter. "Stay safe, mi amor," he murmured, closing his eyes. "I'll be with you as soon as I can."

"Okay." Carlos sighed. "Just please, whatever you're planning, just…be careful, alright?"

"Of course." He hung up and pocketed his phone, setting a calm smile on his face, and laying a hand on the toggle. The desk rotated towards the door, and he steepled his fingers together, staring them in the eye. "And how can I help you, gentlemen?"

"You're making this more difficult than it needs to be, Mr. Baldwin," the man at the PA system said, scowling at him. "Just open the door, and we can talk about this."

"I still have to prep for tomorrow's broadcast," Cecil replied calmly. "I'll be out in a little while."

"We have already done that for you. Open the door, or we will open it for you."

"I wish you luck in that endeavor," Cecil said.

"Mr. Baldwin—"

"I'll handle this, sir." Another voice said. Cecil bristled, his hands tightening on the control panel as a figure appeared at the door, waving frantically before slamming the door off it's hinges, striding into the room. The figure beamed.

"I knew I'd see you again someday, my old friend," Kevin said, approaching the desk.

Cecil recoiled, jumping out of his chair and backing away. "You," he hissed, grabbing the chair and putting it between himself and the man. "What the hell do you want?"

Kevin tutted, sitting down in the chair and spinning it around. "Now now, is that any way to talk to your new cohost?"

Cecil froze, a second too long. Kevin grabbed him, nails digging into the back of his hand as he shook it. "Strexcorp decided that it would be best to consolidate all of our broadcasting into one building, so here I am!" He smiled his terrible smile, eyes piercing Cecil's with a look that made him feel ill. "We're going to be best of friends, you and I."

Cecil glowered, jerking his hand out of his grasp. "Like hell we are. This isn't your town. You don't belong here."

"You're not being very cheery, friend Cecil," Kevin said, pouting. "This is the way things are now. You're going to have to learn to like it, and you can do that with your organs in or outside of your body. It's really up to you."

Cecil flinched, his lips flattening into a grim line. Kevin ignored him, plopping into the chair and spinning around, his smile back in place. He stopped at the desk, snatching the picture frame off the top of the switchboard. "You've changed the picture since the last time I was here," he said, stroking Carlos' face with a long fingernail. "Who is this? He's so cute!"

Cecil grabbed the frame out of his hands, grabbing him by the front of his shirt. "He's none of your business," he growled, his eyes flickering red. He turned, wincing. "And I'm not going to give you a reason for him to become your business….new cohost."

Kevin's smile twisted into a smirk. "We thought you'd see it our way," he said, digging around in his pocket. "Welcome to StrexCorp, Cecil." He ripped the NVCR button from his shirt and jabbed a small, yellow pin in its place, ignoring Cecil's yelp as he pulled out an id card. "You'll be required to carry this at all times, so make sure not to lose it!"

Cecil stared at it, struggling to keep his expression calm. The card was yellow and bore the StrexCorp logo and a long string of letters and numbers beside a picture that resembled Kevin more than Cecil himself.

"But this doesn't look like me," he murmured, confused.

"Oh, not yet," Kevin chirped, clapping him on the back. "Just give it time. I think you'll quickly come to see how nicely you fit into our little StrexCorp family. Very, very quickly. Come on, we have to get you all settled with HR."

Cecil steeled himself, bending down to pick up his old button before following Kevin out of the booth, letting the cold metal dig into the palm of his fist.

"You headin' out?"

"Yessiree," Cecil said brightly, smiling at Kevin as he passed. "I'll see ya bright and early in the morning best buddy."

Kevin beamed at him. "That's the spirit! You have a great StrexCorp Day, Cec!:

"You too, Kev. You too."

Cecil walked to his car, still smiling. He drove home, still smiling, his foot glued to the gas petal. His tires squealed at corners, engine roaring as he tore down the streets of Night Vale, his hands shaking on the wheel. He was still smiling as he slammed on the break, his car crooked in his parking spot. He reached up and grabbed the StrexCorp pin, tossing it in the cupholder. He headed inside, beaming, turning down the stairs towards his apartment. But he passed the door, heading down one floor more. The basement was cold and dry, spiders fleeing his footsteps as he hurried to the door, slamming his thumb into the fingerprint scanner beside it.

"Name?" A robotic voice enquired.

"Cecil Baldwin," Cecil said through his clenched teeth. The door slid open, and he stepped inside, dropping his bag on the floor.

The door closed. The smile twisted, his teeth clenched, nostrils flaring. He sat down on the futon, resting his head in his hands. "Yep, that's me," he muttered. "Cecil…Baldwin. Cecil Baldwin…StrexCorp employee."

His hands fell to the table, gripping the edge. "CECIL BALDWIN, STREXCORP GODDAMN EMPLOYEE!" The table went flying, smashing against the wall and splintering. He dove after it, grabbing the remaining leg and tearing it from the base, slamming it into the rest of the base. A hand wrenched him off the floor, grabbing his arm.

"What the actual _fuck _do you think you're doing?!" Carlos spun him around, his eyes stunned. "Is this how you hide in a bunker, to make as much noise as possible?!"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Cecil said, his hands still clenched around the table leg. "They've got Josie, they've got me…it's only a matter of time—they'll have all of Night Vale. They'll own it…assimilate it until there's no difference between us and Desert Bluffs….they'll ruin everything." He slumped, the block of wood slipping from his hand and clattering to the floor. "_Fuck_ the angels," he muttered, tears welling in his eyes. "They were supposed to protect her and this godforsaken place…" Carlos squeezed his shoulder, drawing him into his arms. His face was grim as he stared at the wall, rubbing Cecil's back softly. "Maybe it won't be so bad," he said softly. "Maybe it'll all be okay…"

Cecil shook his head against his chest. "You didn't just go through StrexCorp Employee Initiation," he said hollowly. He pulled away, wiping his eyes on his arm. "And you never will. Even if I have to take them down myself, they're never going to get you." His eyes blazed purple as he sat up a little straighter. "They're going to find out that Night Vale isn't so easily cowed, and they're going to find out soon. Very. Very soon."

"So let me get this straight. You're going to try to take down a mega corporation that has literally a town full of employees…by yourself?"

"If I have to," Cecil said. "I'll take it out from the inside."

"You're still only one man…one wonderful, amazing man, but only one nonetheless." He took his hand. "Plus, If we don't save Night Vale, who will?"

Cecil smiled, an honest smile. "That's the spirit," he murmured. He wrapped his arms around Carlos' shoulders, kissing him deeply. "StrexCorp isn't going to know what hit it," he laughed to himself as he came up for air.

Across town, Keven smiled, leaning into his headphones. "I wouldn't count on that," he murmured, staring at the GPS monitor in front of him. "I wouldn't count on it."


End file.
